Perth’s music community has rallied behind a double bassist whose instrument was damaged after a flight for the Fringe Festival.
Melbourne musician Mark Elton took to social media after a Qantas flight posting pictures of his damaged double bass, which he said would cost $13,000 to replace as it had been written off.
Elton, who travelled to Perth for the Fringe Festival, said the damage to the instrument, which he described as being like a family member, was unusual.
“It’s such a weird injury, I’ve seen a lot of injuries on instruments and especially bases. It’s at the bottom left-hand corner and the flightcase has been hit very hard, very quickly,” Elton said.
“Imagine if your pet came out the other end and there was something wrong with it. This is is the kind of emotional attachment I’m talking about.
“This is the culmination of a lifetime of being a professional musician. This is the culmination of 30 years of work.
“It’s a handcrafted instrument, like, actually handcrafted, and is like a family actual family member to me.”
Following his call for help, Elton said he was able to borrow an instrument from former WA Symphony Orchestra double bassist and luthier Andrew Tait.
After a check of CCTV at Melbourne and Perth airports, Elton said Qantas advised him there was no clear evidence of damage to the case, in transit, but were willing to make a goodwill payment.
A Qantas spokeswoman said the organisation was investigating the incident.
“We know how important it is to handle all luggage with care, including musical instruments,” she said.
“We are concerned to hear that the double bass has been damaged and we have been actively investigating what has happened with our ground handling partners since we were first notified on Tuesday.”